Tie plate dispenser and method therefore

ABSTRACT

Present embodiments relate to a tie plate dispenser which aligns tie plates for dispensing based on rail base rather than outer edges of tie plate. Thus tie plates are aligned and located in a differing manner than prior art systems. Further, the tie plate dispenser includes an opening over which a magnet is disposed to retain a tie plate over the opening. The tie plate over the opening may be selectively released by disengaging the tie plate from the magnet.

CLAIM TO PRIORITY

This non-provisional patent application claims priority to and benefitof, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser.No. 62/756,206, filed Nov. 6, 2018 and titled “Tie Plate Dispenser andMethod Therefore,” all of which is incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

Present examples relate to a tie plate dispenser and methods therefore.More specifically, present embodiments relate to embodiments fordispensing tie plates on or near rail road ties.

2. Description of the Related Art

It may be desirable to arrange tie plates on a tie plate dispenser in amanner other than by an outer edge of the tie plate. When the tie platesare all the same size, alignment by the outer edge is acceptable.However some railroad companies allow for use of different size tieplates. In this situation, with different sizes of tie plates,arrangement by edges of differing dimension may not be satisfactory.There may be a desire to arrange tie plates based on rail base, that isa distance between the two shoulders of a tie plate. If the tie platesare aligned by this rail base, the railroad track assembly may utilizethe tie plates of differing sizes.

In addition to alignment, it may also be desirable to retain anddispense or discharge the tie plates on to, or adjacent to, the railroadassembly. The dispensing arrangement should however function with thealignment system regardless of tie plate size.

The information included in this Background section of thespecification, including any references cited herein and any descriptionor discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes onlyand is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of theinvention is to be bound.

SUMMARY

Present embodiments relate to a tie plate dispenser which aligns tieplates for dispensing based on rail base rather than outer edges of atie plate. Thus tie plates are aligned and located in a differing mannerthan prior art systems. Further, the tie plate dispenser includes anopening over which a magnet is disposed to retain a tie plate over theopening. The tie plate over the opening may be selectively released bydisengaging the tie plate from the magnet.

According to some embodiments, a tie plate dispenser comprises aconveyor configured to move a plurality of tie plates from a firstlocation to a second location, a guide positioned adjacent to theconveyor, the guide configured to engage at least one shoulder of a tieplate, the guide extending longitudinally along the direction of theconveyor, wherein the guide engages at least one of the shoulders of thetie plate and positions the tie plate relative to a rail base.

Some optional features may be utilized with the tie plate dispensereither alone or in combination with other embodiments. Such optionalembodiments may include, but are not limited to the following. The guidemay have a taper at one end. The taper may locate the tie plate on theconveyor. The guide may align the at least one tie plate. The guide mayhave a flat surface including a low friction material and comprise abeam. The guide may have an upper edge and a trough depending from saidupper edge. The trough may be positioned between the shoulders of thetie plate. The trough may have a lower surface formed of a low frictionmaterial. The tie plate dispenser may further comprising a guide framethat extends above the conveyor. The guide may be suspended from theguide frame. The tie plate dispenser may comprise a gap located betweenthe guide and the conveyor to allow passage of the tie platestherebetween. The tie plate may comprise at least one shoulder whichfaces up or faces down.

According to some embodiments, a tie plate dispenser may comprise aconveyor configured to move a plurality of tie plates, a conveyor framewhich extends a preselected distance beyond an end of a conveyingsurface, the preselected distance defining an opening, at least onemagnet disposed above the opening, the at least one magnet retaining atleast one of the plurality of tie plates over the opening, wherein theat least one tie plate is selectively released from the magnet throughthe opening.

Some optional features may be utilized with the tie plate dispensereither alone or in combination with other embodiments. Such optionalembodiments may include, but are not limited to the following. Theopening may be sized to allow passage of the at least one tie plate. Theopening may be sized to receive the at least one tie plate and a portionof a second, adjacent tie plate of the plurality of tie plates. Theconveying surface may be a roller conveyor, belt conveyor, gravity feedconveyor, a chute, a vibratory conveyor, or combinations of any of theforegoing. The conveying surface supporting a second adjacent tie plateof the plurality of tie plates. The tie plate dispenser may furthercomprise an actuator to selectively disengage the at least one tie platefrom the at least one magnet. The at least one magnet may be a permanentmagnet or an electromagnet. The tie plate dispenser may further comprisea sensor to create a signal to the release the tie plate.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. All of theabove outlined features are to be understood as exemplary only and manymore features and objectives of the various embodiments may be gleanedfrom the disclosure herein. Therefore, no limiting interpretation ofthis summary is to be understood without further reading of the entirespecification, claims and drawings, included herewith. A more extensivepresentation of features, details, utilities, and advantages of thepresent invention is provided in the following written description ofvarious embodiments of the invention, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and defined in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the embodiments may be better understood, embodiments of atie plate dispenser will now be described by way of examples. Theseembodiments are not to limit the scope of the claims as otherembodiments of a tie plate dispenser will become apparent to one havingordinary skill in the art upon reading the instant description.Non-limiting examples of the present embodiments are shown in figureswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a tie plate dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a detail perspective view of an entrance end of the tie platedispenser;

FIG. 3 is an end perspective view of the tie plate dispenser depictingthe tie plates passing between the guide and the roller conveyor;

FIG. 4. is an upper perspective view of an embodiment of the tie platedispenser;

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of a second end of the tie platedispenser;

FIG. 6 is an upper perspective view of a dispensing assembly at a secondend tie plate dispenser;

FIG. 7 is an upper perspective view of an alternate dispensing assembly;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the dispensing assembly with one tieplate discharged and a second tie plate in position for discharge;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment a dispenser mounted on abuggy frame for towing behind a railed vehicle;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tie plate dispenser with anactuator to adjust the height of the guide from the conveyor surface;

FIGS. 11A and 11B are side views of rollers wherein the tie plate isoriented in a first orientation relative to the rollers and in a secondorientation relative to the rollers of shorter length;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the tie platedispenser having two conveyor surfaces for dispensing tie plates at twolocations on or near a railroad tie;

FIGS. 13A and 13B are side views showing two positions, raised andlowered, of an example tie plate dispenser; and,

FIG. 14 shows an upper perspective view of a tie plate dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that a tie plate dispenser and method thereforeis not limited in its application to the details of construction and thearrangement of components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The described embodiments are capable ofother embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out invarious ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should notbe regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or“having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the itemslisted thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” and“mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompassdirect and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition,the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are notrestricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

Referring to FIGS. 1-14, the present embodiments provide a tie platedispenser which dispenses or distributes tie plates along a railroadtrack assembly. A railroad track assembly includes, in general, aplurality of railroad ties, each having a pair of tie plates. A railtrack is disposed across each tie plate and run generally perpendicularto the railroad ties, to attach the tracks to the supporting tie. Oneskilled in the art will understand these railroad track assemblies. Thetie plate dispenser provides a guide to align and locate the tie platesalong a conveyor with reference to the rail base, that is a portion ofthe tie plate between the shoulders of a double shoulder tie plate oralternatively relative to at least one shoulder. After aligning the tieplate in such manner, the tie plates are advanced to an area of thedispenser where they are retained and selectively released at a desiredtime, location or both.

With reference now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of the tie platedispenser 10 is shown. The tie plate dispenser 10 has a first end 12,for example an entrance end, and a second end 14, for example adischarge or exit end. The tie plate dispenser 10 may be in feedcommunication with a tow vehicle having a rail truck bed or a towedvehicle such as on a flatbed trailer for rail use, road use, or both,and further either of which may have tie plate sorting capability andmay feed the tie dispenser 10 with tie plates to be dispensed along arailroad assembly during maintenance procedures. With brief reference toFIG. 9, the tie plate dispenser 10 is shown disposed on a wheeled frame,or buggy, 28 which may be towed behind a rail car, rail truck or othertwo vehicle. The tie plate dispenser 10 is typically angled from top tobottom to aid in feeding the tie plates 30 toward the lower dischargeend 14.

With reference again to FIG. 1, the tie plate dispenser 10 may be insome embodiments a conveyor 16, which may be any of various types ofconveying structures, including but not limited to roller conveyors,belt conveyors, gravity feed conveyors, chutes, vibratory conveyors,combinations of any of these or other structure which generally move apart from a first position to a second position. While various conveyortypes may be utilized, the instant conveyor 16 is depicted as a rollerconveyor having a plurality of rollers 17, the tops of which define aconveying surface 22, generally shown as an arrow in the direction oftie plate movement. The instant conveyor 16 sequentially moves aplurality of tie plates 30 from the first end 12 to the second end 14.The conveyor 16 may be a gravity feed which is disposed on an angle froma higher first entrance end 12 to a lower second discharge end 14.

The conveyor 16 may include a conveyor frame 18 defined by one or moreframe structural elements 19 which support the rollers 17. In theinstant embodiment, the frame 18 is defined by a first structuralelement 19 and a second structural element 19 which are positionedopposite one another and extend in a longitudinal direction pertainingto a feed direction of the tie plates 30. It should also be understoodhowever, that the conveyor 16 may be curved and that the tie platedispensing system may be implemented in such conveyor type as well. Theframe structural elements 19 defining frame 18 may be implemented invarious manners including other structural shapes and designs. While theinstant embodiment shows generally flat plate structures, otherstructures may be used, for non-limiting example channel, angle ironshapes, or box/rectangular shapes may be used to define the frame 18 andsupport the rollers 17. Additionally, these or other structures may bejoined, for example by welding, by additional structures in order todefine a one piece frame.

Near the second end 14 of the frame 18, the structural elements 19extend beyond the last roller 17, and/or in other embodiments, beyondthe end of the conveying surface. At the ends of the frame elements 19,the frame 18 may also have end members. For example, the second end 14of the frame 18 also includes an end member 21. As will be describedfurther, an opening 24 is formed wherein the tie plates 30 may bedispensed from the conveyor 16 on to a railroad track assembly below theconveyor 16. For example, the tie plates 30 may be disposed on railroadties or in some embodiments, the tie plates 30 may be disposed alongsidethe railroad track assembly. The opening 24 may be formed by an openarea of the dispenser or may be defined by an end of the dispenser,where or not it is bounded by other structure. As stated before, theopening 24 may be defined by an open area of the dispenser 10 or may bedefined by an end of the conveyor 16 wherein the tie plates fall fromthe end, or some combination.

The conveyor 16 and frame 18 may further comprise a plurality ofsupports 26 which extend above the rollers 17. The supports 26 may bearranged in various manners, and for example may extend between thestructural elements 19 or may extend over the conveying surface 22.Various configurations of supports 26 may be utilized.

With brief additional reference to FIG. 9, the conveyor 16 may also bemoveable via a buggy 28. The buggy 28 include rail wheels 29 whichmovably support the conveyor 16, so that the conveyor 16 may be mobilealong the railroad track. In some embodiments, the conveyor 16 may pivotfrom near an upper end, so that the lower end may be located at any ofvarious locations relative to the tie plate 30 or the ground below. Forexample, a hitch ball and/or fifth wheel arrangement may be used. Inalternative embodiments, the conveyor 16 may be constructed to sliderather than pivot, so that the tie plates 30 may be dispensed at variouslocations relative to the ties or the ground.

With additional reference to FIG. 2, the first end 12 of the dispenser10 is depicted. The tie plate dispenser 10 further comprises a guide 40.The guide 40 is a longitudinally extending structure or combination ofstructures that extends in the direction of the tie plate movement alongthe conveyor 16. The guide 40 is depicted as flat stock in someembodiments, but may be other structural shapes as well. For example,the guide 40 may also be embodied by the flat stock as shown but mayfurther comprise a beam to which the flat stock is connected, whereinthe beam may be connected to the support 26 or may be connected toadjustable actuators as described further herein.

At a first end 42 of the guide 40, the guide is tapered from a narrowwidth. The first end provides a narrow width in order to increase thelikelihood of positioning the first guide end 42 between the shoulders31 (FIG. 2) of the tie plate 30. As shown, the tie plate 30 located atthe narrow end is out of alignment relative to the direction ofmovement. However, the guide 40 will correct the skewed tie plate 30 asit moves forward along the tie plate conveyor 16.

As shown in the view of FIG. 2, the tie plates may be enter thedispenser 10 askew. When this occurs, the narrow first guide end 42still engages the tie plate 30 (nearest first end 12) between theshoulders 31. Briefly, the tie plates 30 may be of varying sizes andvarying shapes. Many tie plates 30 are rectangular in shape asillustrated and may comprise two shoulders 31 which are extending fromthe upper surface of the tie plate. According to some examples, theshoulders 31 provide a locating and alignment feature for positioning ofa railroad track in order to connect the track or rail to the railroadtie. Some tie plates may have a single shoulder 31 while some may havetwo as depicted. The number is not to be considered limiting, however,the guide may use at least one, or two, shoulder in order to align thetie plates 30, rather than the outer edges of the tie plates. By relyingon the outer edges, the positioning and alignment is then partiallydependent on outer dimensions, and therefore alignment may vary wherebatches of multiple sized tie plates are utilized. Thus where twoshoulders are used, the alignment may be independent of tie platedimension and use of multiple sizes of tie plates may not affect theoperation.

As the guide widens from the first end 42 to its full width, the tieplate 30 will rotate to it proper alignment and position on the conveyor16. The rotation is due to engagement between the shoulders 31 and guide40. Further, the guide 40 retains the tie plate 30 in desired positionlaterally along the conveyor 16, while the tie plate 30 continues movinglongitudinally along the conveyor 16. It should be understood that sometolerance is necessary to allow for movement of the tie plate, ratherthan stoppage, during use of the dispenser 10.

The guide 40 may be supported in a number of ways. According to someembodiments, the guide 40 is supported from above by the supports 26. Insuch a way, the guide 40 is disposed at a height above the conveyingsurface 22. This defines a gap 41 (FIG. 3) wherein the tie plate 30 maybe disposed and move through toward the second end of the dispenser 10.The gap 41 is sized so that the guide 40 is positioned between theshoulders 31 of a tie plate 30 and at a height so not to stop movementof the tie plate therebetween. As one skilled in the art willunderstand, the tie plates 30 may be formed in differing sizes andaccordingly, may have heights or thicknesses which differ. For example,some tie plates may have a thickness of up to ¾ of an inch while othersize tie plates may have a thickness of about ⅞ of an inch. Thesedimensions are merely examples and others may be utilized, and thereforeshould not be considered limiting.

The guide 40 may also be adjustably supported so that the height of theguide 40 may be changed relative to the conveying surface 22 below.Therefore, the adjustability of the guide in a height or verticaldimension may allow for appropriate clearance of tie plates of differingsizes which improves usage of the dispenser. As shown in FIG. 10 forexample, an actuator 126 may be mounted to the supports 26 in order tomove the guide 40 vertically and vary the height relative to theconveying surface 22. The one or more actuators 126 may be supported atvarious locations along the conveyor path for raising and lowering theguide 40. The actuator 126 may be fixed to a frame member, structure, orother support 26 of the dispenser 10 and may have a piston or othermovable structure which connects to the guide 40. In this way, themovement of the piston in a vertical direction will move the guide 40vertically. The actuator 126 may be electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic,combinations, or other movable structures. Likewise, the actuator 126may have a motor for example which rotates to cause linear motion of anactuation element alternative to typical to a piston.

Adjacent to the guide actuator 126 is the actuator 180 which releasesthe tie plates 30 from the magnets 60. Also, the embodiment shows that asingle actuator 180 may be utilized rather than the two depicted in FIG.7.

With brief additional reference to FIG. 3, a perspective end view of thetie plate dispenser is shown. In this view, the tie plates 30 are shownmoving along the conveying surface 22. The guide is disposed above theconveying surface and shows how the tie plates pass on the conveyingsurface and beneath the guide 40. However, the guide 40 is disposedbetween the shoulders 31 (FIG. 2) of the tie plate to locate the tieplates as desired on the conveyor 16. Further, the tie plates arestraightened as the pass by the first guide end 42. Once the tie platespass this portion of the guide 40, the tie plates are also aligned by arail base or a center line between the shoulders 31 (with sometolerance). Thus, the tie plates need not be aligned by an outer edgethereof and tie plates of different sizes may be run through the tieplate dispenser 10.

Also shown in FIG. 3 is a depiction of the support of the guide 40 fromthe supports 26. This is one embodiment however, the guide 40 may besupported from sides or other locations. Thus it should be understoodthat the guide 40 may be supported in a plurality of ways.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an upper perspective view of the dispenser 10is shown wherein the tie plates 30 are shown moving along the conveyor116. The guide 140 is disposed between the shoulders 31 of each tieplate 30 moving along the conveyor 16. The tie plates 30 are generallyaligned along a centerline between the shoulders 31, with sometolerance. The figures also depicts that the tie plates may be ofdiffering sizes. That is, there may be various sizes of tie plates, andthis does not stop the use of the tie plate dispenser 10.

Also shown in this view, one skilled in the art may realize that theframe 118 of the conveyor 16 is different than previous embodiments.Other structures may be utilized to define the conveyor. Withoutreference to any specific type of conveyor or the frame design, oneskilled in the art should understand that various frame types anddesigns will be within the scope of the embodiments.

Also shown in this view, the guide may be of various designs. The guide140 is provided with first and second structures 141, 142 and a lowfriction material 143 extending between the first and second structures141, 142. In this embodiment, the guide 140 has upper edges defined bythe first and second structures and a trough therebetween defined by thelow friction material. Further, for example, in this example, thestructures are shown as angle irons, however other structural shapes maybe utilized. In this embodiment, the tie plates 30 are only in contact,if at all, with the low friction material 143 extending between thefirst and second structures. In some embodiments, the low frictionmaterial may extend between the first and second structures 141, 142 andextend the entire length of the guide length 140. In other embodiments,it may be desirable to place hard steel or other metal structure at theforward end of the guide 140. In the tapered area which will receive thehigher contact forces of the tie plates before they are substantiallyaligned with the guide 140. In this way, the part steel, metal, or otherstructure which may be more able to withstand the higher force of theinitial contact with the guide 140. Accordingly, the metallic materialsat the very forward end of the guide 140 and the low friction materialmay be used along the remaining distance of the guide 140. In someembodiments, the low friction material may be used beneath a metallicguide structure such that the metal and the low friction material arepositioned in layers rather than the low friction material being usedbetween two structures 141, 142 as described. Further, the guide 140 isconnected to supports 26 by way of the low friction material 143, orother material extending between the guide structures.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a lower perspective view of the tie platedispenser 10 is shown. The lower perspective view shows the opening atthe end of the rollers where the frame structural elements 19 extendbeyond the rollers they support. At this opening location, the tieplates 30 may be dispensed or discharged in a sequential and selectivemanner from the dispenser 10.

Referring now to FIG. 6, an upper perspective view of the tie platedispenser 10 is shown and with specific reference to the second end 14thereof. The guide 40, for example, extends over the opening 24.According to some embodiments, a mechanism is provided to retain thelast sequential tie plate 30 over the opening. In some embodiments theretaining mechanism 60 may be a magnet, permanent or electromagnet, inorder to retain the tie plate. In the embodiment comprising a permanentmagnet, the at least one magnet retains the tie plate 30 and themovement of the subsequent tie plates along the dispenser forces the tieplate to a position fully over the opening. Alternately, if anelectromagnet is used, the magnet may be turned off then on when the tieplate is in the desired position over the opening.

Some embodiments provide at least one permanent magnet 60. In theinstant embodiment, the at least one permanent magnet 60 is defined bythree circular magnets. Other shapes and sizes may be used, depending atleast in part on the size of the opening. The magnets are shown sized tofit between longitudinal edges of the guide 40.

In the embodiment having a permanent magnet 60, an actuator assembly 70is used to disengage the tie plate from the at least one magnet 60 andthereby discharge the tie plate on to the railroad track assembly. Theinstant embodiment utilizes an actuator assembly 70 to move downward anddisplace the tie plate 30 from the at least one magnet 60, thus causingthe tie plate to fall. As shown in FIG. 6, the actuator assembly 70 mayutilize a hammer 72 which passes through the guide 40 to push the tieplate downward from the guide 40. The hammer may take various forms andaccording to the instant embodiment, the hammer may comprise verticalstructures passing through or around the guide to push the tie plate 30over the opening 24 away from the at least one magnet 60.

With reference FIG. 7, the tie plate dispenser 110 is shown inperspective view with side supports 119, rollers 117 extending between,and a guide 140 extending longitudinally. The device may also functionalternately so that the hammer 172 is extending around the guide 140,rather than through the guide 40. FIG. 7 depicts an alternate embodimenthaving guide 140 and alternate actuator arrangement. As one skilled inthe art will understand, the tie plate 30 engages the first engagedmagnet 60 and is pushed forward (in the tie plate feed direction) alongthe at least one magnet 60 toward the opening 124. The hammer 172 haslegs 173 having a width that is greater than the width of the guide 140.With the legs 173 located width-wise beyond the guide 140, actuatormovement in a vertical orientation can cause disengagement of the tieplate 30 from the magnet 60 or clear the way for the subsequent tieplate to engage the magnet 60. In the depicted embodiment, the hammer172 is shown in an upper position so that the tie plate 30 is engaged bythe magnet 60. The instant embodiment shows feet 174 extending from thebottom of the legs 173 and which engage the tie plates 30 upon movementof the hammer 172 by an actuator.

As depicted, the tie plate dispenser 110 may also comprise at least oneactuator 180. As shown in the depicted embodiment, the at least oneactuator 180 may be two actuators. The actuators 180 may be electric,hydraulic or fluid powered, including air or liquid. In someembodiments, the actuators may also be mechanical, including springloaded or counter balanced, and/or manual (worker forcing the tie plateoff with a stick or tool for example). The at least one actuator 180 maybe linear, rotational to linear or other types of actuation. The hammer172 may also be extending downward from both sides of the guide 140 topush the tie plate 30 down on both sides of a tie plate center line andcause the tie plate 30 to drop down through the opening 124 with thebottom of the tie plate falling to its desired position.

With reference to FIG. 8, a perspective view of the guide 140 is shownat the opening. A tie plate 30 is retained on the guide 140 by the atleast one magnet 60 (FIG. 7). Below the opening, a tie plate 30 is shownwhich was previously discharged from the magnet 60, in order to makeroom for next subsequent tie plate which is shown disposed at the guide140. Movement of the actuator 180 will push the tie plate 30 from the atleast one magnet 60 downward to discharge the tie plate 30.

Actuation of the actuator 180 may occur in various manners. Theactuation 180 may occur due to a distance traveled by the dispenser 10along a track. A signal may be provided based on a distance moved by awheel. For example, the signal may be provided at a desired interval,again for non-limiting example, pertaining to a known distance betweenrailroad ties. Alternatively, an optical sensor may provide a signal toactuate, at which time the actuator may cause the discharge of a tieplate. In other examples, a magnet or other device may be used toprovide a signal at each railroad tie and signal that a tie plate shouldbe dropped. Further, a combination of these or other types of sensorsmay be utilized to provide actuation based on a distance, time,position, optical detection, Doppler signal, other characteristic orcombination of any of these.

Further, while the depicted embodiments have provided the tie plate inan orientation with the shoulders up, it may also be within the scope ofthe embodiments that the guide be positioned in a lower elevation sothat the tie plates 30 may be moved along the conveyor in a shouldersdown orientation for ease of distributing in the downward shoulderorientation. In such orientation, the magnet would therefore engage theopposite side of the tie plate 30, without shoulder(s). Further, in suchorientation, the tie plates 30 may be slidably supported at lateralends. With reference to FIG. 11A, an example roller 17 is shown with atie plate 30 disposed in first orientation. In this orientation, the tieplate 30 is right side up with the shoulders 31 in an upward facingdirection.

In the alternate orientation of FIG. 11B, the tie plate 30 is orientedin an upside down orientation. For example conveyor is represented byrollers 117. In this embodiment the rollers 117 may be of a very shortlongitudinal dimension L. When orienting the rollers 117 in such a way,it may be desirable that the roller 117 fit between the shoulders 31 ofthe tie plates 30 in such downward shoulder 31 orientation. The shortlongitudinal dimension L of the roller 117 allows for the roller 117 tofit between the shoulders 31 of the tie plate 30. In such orientation,the guide 40 may engage the upper facing surface of the tie plate 30 insuch shoulder 31 downward orientation. However, the dimensionalclearance between a tie plate surface and the guide 40 may provide thatthere is no contact between these two surfaces. Additionally, as notedwith regard to FIG. 10, the tie plate dispenser 10 may compriseactuators 126 to raise the guide 40 and decrease or eliminate contactwith the tie plates 30. Accordingly, the guide 40 may only inhibitmotion and to preclude flipping of the tie plates 30 during operation.Further, the guide 40 is depicted schematically as the lower portion ofa beam, for example an I-beam or a T-beam. However, the beam definingguide 40 may also comprise a low friction material as previouslydescribed on a lower flange of the beam.

Referring now to FIG. 12, an additional embodiment is utilized wherein atie plate dispenser 210 may comprise two conveyors 216, 217 to dispensetie plates (not shown). The dispenser 210 may also be pulled behind atruck, flat bed rail car, or other type of rail device. The twoconveyors 216, 217 may be parallel or may be angled relative to oneanother. In such embodiment, the dispenser 210 may dispense tie plates30 at or near ends of the railroad ties. With the tie plates 30dispensed in these positions, a rail gang or a machine may follow behindthe dispenser 210 and position the tie plates 30 beneath the rails andon the rail ties. The conveyors 216, 217 are provided on a wheeled frameor buggy 228. Further, the conveyors 216, 217 may pivot from the upperend of the dispenser 210 or the entire conveyors 216, 217 may slidelaterally toward and away from one another to adjust the dispensingpositions.

With reference now to FIGS. 12-13B, one additional feature is providedwhich may be used with this embodiment as depicted or in otherembodiments. In some uses, it may be desirable to adjust the distance ofthe drop of the tie plate 30. A lower height may inhibit bouncing orflipping of the tie plates 30 to an undesired orientation and/orlocation. However, while the lowering of the dispensing height may bedesirable for some instances, when the tie plate dispensers 10, 210 aremoved along a rail system, it may also be desirable to raise thedispenser height when moving over road crossings or at rail switches soas to avoid interference of the conveyor(s) 16, 216, 217 with suchstructures.

Some embodiments may also provide a jack 290 which may raise or lowerthe dispensing end of the conveyor when the dispenser 10, 210 is beingutilized. The jack 290 may be electric, hydraulic, or air powered,combinations, or other mechanisms and may operate in a variety of ways.The jack 290 may comprise various non-limiting types including, but notlimited to, a vertical jack leg, a flip or folding jack leg or scissorjack system which is fluid powered, gas or liquid, or electric powered.These examples are non-limiting. The instant embodiment may comprise anelectric powered motor and a gear box to cause raising and lowering ofan inner or outer leg, relative to the other inner or outer leg. Thejack 290 may therefore raise or lower the dispensing end of thedispensers 10, 210 to a desired height depending on the situation andwhat is needed. For example, the jack 290 may be connected to the frameor other support structure of the dispenser 210. An extender leg 292extend or retract from the jack 290 and may be connected to the axle orother structure so that extension of the extender leg 292 raises orlowers the conveyor(s) 16, 216, 217.

The extender leg 292 may be square in cross-section but may bealternative shapes such as circular or other shapes which may be solidor hollow. The leg 292 may slide relative to a housing connected to thejack 290. As further alternative, the extender leg 292 may be defined byframe-type structures formed of a plurality of struts or structuralmembers. One of the leg 292 and a housing is may be moveable relative tothe other during operation. In the exemplary embodiment, the leg 292 isslidable relative to a housing from which the extender leg 292 movesfrom or moves into. One of the leg 292 or housing may be attached,directly or indirectly, to the axles or wheels, and the other may beconnected to the frame structure to raise and lower the discharge end ofthe dispenser 10, 210.

With regard to FIG. 14, a perspective view of a tie plate dispenser 210is depicted. The conveyors 216, 217 are shown at the upper, hitch end.The instant device may provide for movement of the conveyors 216, 217.The instant system may comprise one or more bearings 270 for slidingsupport of a frame member 272. In some embodiments, the frame member 272has a collar which slides over an adjacent member 274. Each frame member272 supports the conveyor 216, 217 and the frame member can slide alongthe bearings 270 in order to move the conveyors 216, 217 laterally.While an upper end of the dispenser 210 is shown, a similar arrangementmay be used at the lower end of the conveyors 216, 217 in order to allowfor the lateral movement. Additionally, a pivoting arrangement may alsobe used as an alternative to adjust drop position of the tie plates 30.For example, the pivot arrangement may be disposed at or near an upperend and the lower end be movable to compensate for such pivotingmovement at the top of the conveyor 216, 217.

While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustratedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision avariety of other means and/or structures for performing the functionand/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantagesdescribed herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications isdeemed to be within the scope of the invent of embodiments describedherein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciatethat all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations describedherein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters,dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon thespecific application or applications for which the inventive teachingsis/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able toascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalentsto the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is,therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presentedby way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claimsand equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practicedotherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventiveembodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individualfeature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein.In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems,articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent,is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood tocontrol over dictionary definitions, definitions in documentsincorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the definedterms. The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in thespecification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase“and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, shouldbe understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined,i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases anddisjunctively present in other cases.

Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the samefashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Otherelements may optionally be present other than the elements specificallyidentified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to thoseelements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, areference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-endedlanguage such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only(optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, toB only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet anotherembodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should beunderstood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. Forexample, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall beinterpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, butalso including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and,optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated tothe contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when usedin the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactlyone element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or”as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusivealternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded byterms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or“exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims,shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “atleast one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should beunderstood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more ofthe elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including atleast one of each and every element specifically listed within the listof elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the listof elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally bepresent other than the elements specifically identified within the listof elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether relatedor unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as anon-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “atleast one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) canrefer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including morethan one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements otherthan B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally includingmore than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elementsother than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionallyincluding more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including morethan one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.

It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to thecontrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one stepor act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarilylimited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method arerecited.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitionalphrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,”“containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are tobe understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limitedto. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consistingessentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases,respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual ofPatent Examining Procedures.

The foregoing description of methods and embodiments has been presentedfor purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, andobviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove teaching. It is intended that the scope of the invention and allequivalents be defined by the claims appended hereto.

1. A tie plate dispenser, comprising: a conveyor configured to move aplurality of tie plates from a first location to a second location; aguide positioned adjacent to said conveyor, said guide configured toengage at least one shoulder of a tie plate; said guide extendinglongitudinally along the direction of the conveyor; wherein said guideengages at least one of the shoulders of the tie plate and positions thetie plate relative to a rail base.
 2. The tie plate dispenser of claim1, said guide having a taper at one end.
 3. The tie plate dispenser ofclaim 2, said taper locating said tie plate on said conveyor.
 4. The tieplate dispenser of claim 2, said guide aligning said at least one tieplate.
 5. The tie plate dispenser of claim 1, said guide having a flatsurface including a low friction material.
 6. The tie plate dispenser ofclaim 5, said guide comprising a beam.
 7. The tie plate dispenser ofclaim 1, said guide having an upper edge and a trough depending fromsaid upper edge.
 8. The tie plate dispenser of claim 7, said troughpositioned between said shoulders of the tie plate.
 9. The tie platedispenser of claim 7, said trough having a lower surface formed of a lowfriction material.
 10. The tie plate dispenser of claim 1 furthercomprising a guide frame that extends above said conveyor.
 11. The tieplate dispenser of claim 10 wherein said guide is suspended from saidguide frame.
 12. The tie plate dispenser of claim 11, wherein a gap islocated between said guide and the conveyor to allow passage of tieplates therebetween.
 13. The tie plate dispenser of claim 1 wherein saidat least one shoulder is face up or said at least one shoulder is facingdown.
 14. A tie plate dispenser, comprising: a conveyor configured tomove a plurality of tie plates; a conveyor frame which extends apreselected distance beyond an end of a conveying surface, saidpreselected distance defining an opening; at least one magnet disposedabove said opening; said at least one magnet retaining at least one ofsaid plurality of tie plates over said opening; wherein said at leastone tie plate is selectively released from said magnet through saidopening.
 15. The tie plate dispenser of claim 14, wherein said openingis sized to allow passage of said at least one tie plate.
 16. The tieplate dispenser of claim 15, wherein said opening is sized to receivesaid at least one tie plate and a portion of a second, adjacent tieplate of said plurality of tie plates.
 17. The tie plate dispenser ofclaim 14, said conveying surface being defined by one of a rollerconveyor, belt conveyor, gravity feed conveyor, a chute, a vibratoryconveyor, or combinations of any of the foregoing.
 18. The tie platedispenser of claim 17, said conveying surface supporting a secondadjacent tie plate of said plurality of tie plates.
 19. The tie platedispenser of claim 14 further comprising an actuator to selectivelydisengage the at least one tie plate from the at least one magnet. 20.The tie plate dispenser of claim 14 wherein the at least one magnet is apermanent magnet or an electromagnet.
 21. The tie plate dispenser ofclaim 14 further comprising a sensor to create a signal to release saidtie plate.